Dozens of residents of Rwobuyenje, Makenke in Mbarara Municipality yesterday angrily stormed out of Mbarara High Court, contesting its adjournment of their case in which they are challenging eviction from their land.
The locals who were eagerly awaiting the court verdict were irked when the chief magistrate Miriam Okello Ayo adjourned the case to 27th September 2016, saying that the trial judge Duncan Gaswaga had just left for his leave.
About 400 residents who include UPDF’s Capt. Justus Mwesigwa sued one Kasfa Namaganda in 2008 who claimed ownership of the land in Makenke, which the residences claim to have occupied for decades.
A total of 400 residents are being evicted from their land in Mbarara
In 2002, Namaganda secured a land title for the contested 60 acre piece of land which stretches from Makenke cell to Rwobuyenje village including the government owned Kakiika Technical Institute.
Kasfa, a Kampala based businesswoman says now that she wants to sell it off to Libya based Ugandan tycoon Habib Kagimu.
Capt. (Rtd.) Justus Mwesigwa told Chimpreports that despite of a caveat they secured canceling Namaganda’s land title, court advised Kasfa to issue fresh eviction notices to the tenants.
The UPDF Captain says that he will now organize his fellow residents to march to President Yoweri Museveni’s country home of Rwakitura in neighboring Kiruhura district where they will pitch camp until their concerns are resolved.
“We want the President himself to intervene in this matter because our RDC, the CAO and even the courts have offered us no solution,” said Capt Mwesigwa.
The locals leaving Mbarara High Court
“The RDC Capt. Martha Asiimwe sees us as enemies yet we are fighting for our land that we procured when we were still strong and serving this government. Kasfa on the other hand is using her riches to grab our land.”
President Museveni last week during the Heroes Day celebrations promised the country that one of his priorities in this new term will be fighting against illegal land evictions, which he said his leaders and courts have failed to address.
Museveni said that government is looking for medicine for this challenge after receiving numerous complaints.
“I thought that people from the Lands Ministry were nationalistic but it seems they don’t care, said the president.”
“They are conniving with evictors and courts of law which rule unfairly against the poor squatters, which cannot even afford legal fees. But this term, with the help from your MPs we are going to find the final solution to this.”